Atherton Galardi Mullen & Reeder PLLC

07/21/2026

Atherton Galardi Mullen & Reeder is honored to work with state and federal judges, the Bolch Judicial Institute, and others on a series of non-partisan programs which defend the judiciary against improper attacks.

As part of these programs, Scott Atherton joined U.S. District Judges Robin Rosenberg, Beth Bloom, and Paul Grimm (Ret.) to create a free Florida Bar-approved ethics CLE titled "Your Ethical Duty to Defend the Judiciary and Promote Civility." Produced by the Bolch Judicial Institute, this free CLE offering .5 ethics credit hours is available on The Florida Bar website by clicking the link below:
https://www.floridabar.org/ethics/your-ethical-duty-to-defend-the-judiciary-and-promote-civility/

The Florida Bar News article at the link below titled "New Program Examines Lawyers' Ethical Duty to Defend the Judiciary" summarizes some of this CLE’s content.

Please consider watching this brief free CLE or reading the short but important Florida Bar News article below. Together, they explain the types of attacks judges are facing and how private lawyers can help address them. For example, this CLE provides concrete examples of how private lawyers can engage in non-partisan, de-escalating discussions with friends, family members, and members of the public who may cross the line from fair First Amendment criticism of a judicial ruling to an unfair or unjust attack on a judge which may threaten or erode the rule of law.

This CLE also explains several existing opportunities for attorneys who want to work with or on behalf of the courts to help defend the judiciary and discusses some of the ethics rules which may apply when lawyers learn of an improper judicial attack.

Judicial ethics rules generally prohibit judges from speaking out to defend themselves. As a result, it is up to private lawyers, community leaders, and citizens to learn how we can and should speak up for them. Please consider reviewing these materials and forwarding them to anyone who might be interested in learning more about this critical cause.

🔗 "New Program Examines Lawyers' Ethical Duty to Defend the Judiciary”: https://www.floridabar.org/the-florida-bar-news/new-program-examines-lawyers-ethical-duty-to-defend-the-judiciary/

As threats against judges continue to rise nationwide, Florida lawyers have an ethical duty not only to maintain civility, but to defend the judiciary, report misconduct, and help educate the public about the rule of law, according to a new free CLE from the Bolch Judicial Institute of Duke Law Scho...

04/10/2026

Congratulations to Scott Atherton and Brittany Tarazona for their second consecutive trial win in 2026. In this second case, Scott and Brittany represented the buyer of a corporation which operates one of the nation’s largest food recycling companies. After the buyer acquired the corporation, the seller claimed, among other things, that the seller supposedly did not sign all the transaction documents, the purchase transaction did not fully close, the seller did not transfer the company’s stock to the buyer, and the seller was purportedly coerced into negotiating with the buyer. Scott and Brittany defeated all the seller’s claims at trial and secured a judicial declaration confirming that the buyer did, in fact, acquire 100% of the target entity’s stock from the seller. The seller was represented at trial by an Am Law 200 law firm.

Please join us in congratulating Scott and Brittany for their second consecutive trial win this year. To learn more about Atherton Galardi’s complex business litigation practice, please click here: https://www.athertonlg.com/practice-areas/practice-business-ligitation/

04/01/2026

We are pleased to welcome associate Hiba Ismail to Atherton Galardi Mullen & Reeder. Hiba’s practice involves a broad range of litigation matters, including complex business litigation, corporate governance disputes, First Amendment and media law, and defamation defense.

Prior to joining Atherton Galardi, Hiba worked in the New York office of a global law firm and gained valuable experience through internships with the Cyberlaw Clinic at Harvard Law School, CNN, and the Knight First Amendment Institute.

Hiba earned her J.D. from Columbia Law School, where she was a James Kent Scholar, and her B.A., magna cm laude, from Columbia University. She is admitted to practice in Florida and New York, as well as several federal courts.

Please join us in welcoming Hiba. To learn more about Hiba or our firm, please click here: www.athertonlg.com

02/09/2026

Total Victory for Sellers in M&A Litigation

Congratulations to our partners Scott Atherton, Joe Galardi, Terry Mullen and Pete Maskow, and their co-counsel Mike Caddell and Brian Spiro, for securing total victory in a high-stakes merger dispute. The buyer claimed that our firm’s seller clients were obligated to indemnify the buyer under the parties’ merger agreement in connection with a pre-closing error and omissions claim. The total damages and prejudgment interest the buyer sought against the sellers we represented exceeded $10 million. The trial court ruled that the sellers’ indemnity obligation expired pursuant to the merger agreement’s terms, certain of the buyer’s claims were further barred under the Florida Probate Code’s statute of repose, and the buyer was not entitled to any indemnity or damages from the sellers. The court entered final judgment in favor of our seller clients and reserved ruling to further award our clients’ the attorneys' fees and costs they incurred in the case. The buyer was represented by an international Am Law 50 law firm.

Scott and Joe have both successfully litigated and tried M&A cases, including stock purchase, asset purchase, and merger transaction disputes. Our firm has also represented public and private companies, directors and officers, and company founders in corporate governance and securities cases. To learn more about Atherton Galardi’s practice, please click here: https://www.athertonlg.com/practice-areas/practice-shareholder-and-securities/. Note that each case is unique, and results depend on the specific facts of a given case.

01/26/2026

Atherton Galardi Wins Federal Jury Trial for Top Cannabis M&A Executive

Congratulations to Atherton Galardi Partners Scott Atherton and Brittany Tarazona for their complete trial victory on behalf of the former Chief Strategy Officer (“CSO”) and global head of Mergers & Acquisitions of Curaleaf, Inc.

Curaleaf, the world’s largest Cannabis company by revenue, claimed that it properly terminated Atherton Galardi’s client for “Cause” after an internal investigation supposedly substantiated an allegation that the CSO had committed a dishonest act. Based on that supposed investigation, Curaleaf claimed it had the discretion to deny the CSO contractual severance payments and certain equity benefits.

After hearing all the evidence, the jury completely vindicated Atherton Galardi’s client, and found, among other things, that Curaleaf did not conduct a reasonable investigation of the allegations made against the CSO, and that no reasonable party could have determined that there was “Cause” to terminate him. You can see the jury’s actual verdict in the images below.

Congratulations to Scott and Brittany on this hard-fought win for their client. The CSO is now entitled to full separation pay and equity benefits under his contract, and his professional reputation remains intact.

Curaleaf was represented at trial by the Co-Chair of Jenner & Block’s Business Litigation and Labor and Employment practices, and Chair of Jenner & Block’s ERISA practice.

For more information about Atherton Galardi’s business litigation practice, please click here: [https://www.athertonlg.com/practice-areas/practice-business-ligitation/]. Note that each case is unique and results depend on the specific facts of a given case.

12/22/2025

Judges Need Our Help

It was an honor to join U.S. District Judge Robin Rosenberg, U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom, and North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Cheri Beasley (Ret.) for a panel discussion titled “Attacks on Judges: What Can We Do?” This non-partisan panel discussion was part of Duke Law’s Bolch Judicial Institute’s Star Rule of Law Series. Among the topics we discussed were: (1) troubling increases in unfair and unjust attacks against judges; (2) why ethics rules often prevent judges from responding to such attacks themselves; and (3) how lawyers, law students, and community leaders can help defend the judiciary so it can continue performing its essential functions as an impartial and co-equal branch of government. You can view the full panel presentation here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sf8Beb-jRdU&list=PLPllY2puNnqbRfkULYSkMF_Di6PeJrwa6&index=1.

Duke Law’s Bolch Judicial Institute is organizing a national effort to Defend the Judiciary and defend the rule of law. For those who are interested in getting involved with this important cause, please feel free to fill out the “Interest Form” available here: https://judicialstudies.duke.edu/defending-the-judiciary/. For those who would like to hear sitting judges from across the country describe the specific threats they and their families have personally faced, you can view videos of the July 31, 2025 and September 25, 2025 Speak Up for Justice Events which are both available here: https://speakupforjustice.law/past-recorded-events.

12/16/2025

Meet our New Associate Hunter Walker

We are pleased to welcome associate Hunter Walker to Atherton Galardi Mullen & Reeder. Hunter’s practice will focus on complex business litigation, including M&A litigation, corporate governance disputes, professional liability cases, and real estate litigation. Before law school, Hunter worked across legal, accounting, and IT functions in private companies, giving him practical insight in business cases.

Hunter earned his J.D. from Penn State University and his B.A. from Florida State University. Prior to joining Atherton Galardi, Hunter worked in the complex litigation group of an Am Law 200 law firm.

Please join us in welcoming Hunter. To learn more about Hunter or our firm, please click here: www.athertonlg.com